Trash container mounting for trash compactor

ABSTRACT

A trash container is mounted on a horizontally movable pan beneath a vertically descending ram of a trash compactor. The pan has an opening therein down through which the container can move to sit on a horizontal floor therebelow. Several springs carried by the pan, however, normally support the container above the floor but deflect to allow the container to sink through the pan opening and seat against the floor when trash is compacted inthe container by the ram. Structural details of the compactor and ram are also disclosed.

United States Patent [191 Bourgeois TRASH CONTAINER MOUNTING FOR TRASH COMPACTOR [75] Inventor: Joseph F. Bourgeois, Cedar Rapids,

Iowa

[73] Assignee: Amana Refrigeration, Inc., Amana,

Iowa

22 Filed: July 6,1971 21 App1.No.: 159,761

[52] U.S..CI 100/229 A, 100/268, 100/289 [51] Int. Cl. B30b 15/06 [58] Field of Search 100/229 R, 229 A, 289, 100/268, 221, 265, 224, 245, 225, 223;

53/124 B; 141/71, 73, 80; 248/54 R, 54 CS,

DIG. 7; 312/270, 271, 273, 274, 319

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 135,067 1/1873 Bassford 100/245 1,119,421 12/1914 Furbush 100/229 R 1,435,232 11/1922 Hieber 100/223 X 1,738,326 12/1929 Smith 100/229 R 3,463,079 8/1969 Corbett 100/229 R [4 1 Oct. 8, 1974 3,654,855 4/1972 Longo 100/229 R 3,741,108 6/1973 Stratman 100/229 A FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 761,100 3/1934 France 100/229 R 946,883 8/1956 Germany 100/265 179,840 9/1935 Switzerland 100/229 R Primary ExaminerBilIy J. Wilhite Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Haven E. Simmons; James C. Nemmers [5 7 ABSTRACT A trash container is mounted on a horizontally movable pan beneath a vertically descending ram of a trash compactor. The pan has an opening therein down through which the container can move to sit on a horizontal floor therebelow. Several springs carried by the pan, however, normally support the container above the floor but deflect to allow the container to sink through the pan opening and seat against the floor when trash is compacted inthe container by the ram. Structural details of the compactor and ram are also disclosed.

3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENIEUBBT 819M 3.839354 SNEEI ll! 3 INVENTOR. i JOSEPH F. BOURGEOIS ATTORNEY PAIENTEHHBT 81914 $839,954

SHEEI 20F 35 a INVENTOR.

JOSEPH F. sounsrsoxs 24W; ffww- ATTORNEY RAIENIE ncI 81974 SIEH 3N5 INVENTOR.

JOSEPH F. BOURGEOIS BY I ATTORNEY TRASH CONTAINER MOUNTING FOR TRASH COMPACTOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Especially in the case of trash compactors for domestic use which employ a vertically movable ram, the overall height of the unit is necessarily limited in order that it may be compatible with the height of counter tops and other equipment with which it is usually surrounded. This means that even at the top of its stroke, the ram is necessarily closely above the top of the trash container therebelow so that the latter must be moved horizontally before trash can be placed therein. In some designs, the container is merely slid on its bottom out from under the ram for this purpose, but obviously this tends to be difficult owing to the size and weight of the container. In other designs, the container is in the form of a drawer suspended on roller glides for easy movement in and out beneath the ram, the drawer dropping down off the glides and seating against the floor of the compactor when the drawer is pushed in beneath the ram in order to avoid having the glides bear any of the compacting force of the ram. However, this is a rather complex arrangement and furthermore the drawer is not readily removable. Obviously, a separate, readily removable container is more desirable, mounted so that it can easily be moved in and out beneath the ram, and supported for this purpose by means which do not bear any of the rams compacting force.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention here summarized and later claimed is confined to the mounting for the trash container, although certain other inventive features of the trash compactor are also shown in the drawings and disclosed in the more detailed description which follows this summary.

The trash compactor is equipped with a vertically descending ram and a floor plate therebelow. The trash container, which is preferably of a round, bucket-like nature, sits below the ram on a horizontally movable pan above the floor plate so that the container can be pulled out from beneath the ram to deposit trash therein to be compacted. The pan, in turn, is provided with a large circular opening in which the container sits. A number of leaf springs secured to the pan project into the pan opening beneath the container and thus normally support it above the floor plate so that the container can be readily moved in and out beneath the ram. However, when the ram engages trash in the container, the springs deflect, allowing the container to sink through the pan opening and seat on the floor plate for effective compaction of the trash in the contamer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a vertical elevation of the interior of a trash compactor, certain portions of the chassis, the ram and its drive and the trash container mount being additionally sectioned to illustrate their details.

FIG. 2 is an exploded isometric view of the ram and its drive.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged isometric view of the slide-out mount for the removable container in which the trash is compacted.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The trash compactor consists of a chassis 10 formed essentially of a heavy, downwardly flanged rectangular floor plate 11 reinforced beneath by a transverse channel assembly 12. Just inboard of and along the side edges of the floor plate 11 are located two broad, shallow vertical channels 13 disposed in facing relation to each other. The lower ends of the channels 13 are provided with horizontal tongues 13a which pass through slots 11a along the side flanges of the floor plate 11 and engage its under face, being securedthereto by bolts 13b. The channels 13 extend nearly to the top of the compactor and are capped by a heavy, downwardly flanged top plate 14, also reinforced above by a pair of transverse channel assemblies 15. The respective opposite flanges of the channels 13 are connected by heavy crossplates 16 just beneath the top plate 14, all to form in effect a heavy, cage-like structure in which the ram operates. Over the chassis 10 is slipped an open front, rectangular sheet metal cabinet 17 whose forward edges are flanged at 17a and provided with a toe space 18. The front of the cabinet is closed by three panels, 19, 20 and 21 against the cabinet flanges 17a, the upper edge of the panel 21 being provided with a hand grip 22 for purposes to be later described. The cabinet 17 is secured only to the rear and side edges of the floor plate 11, being otherwise spaced from the chassis 10 in order to minimize transmission of vibration, and the floor and top plates 11 and 14 extend forward to just behind the toe space 18 and the panel 19, respectively.

The ram assembly, generally indicated at 30, consists of an upper horizontal plate 31 of rectangular shape generally spanning the area bounded by the four inner corners of the channels 13 and provided with transverse upper flanges 32. From the side edges of the plate 31 depend a pair of deep skirt plates 33, reinforced by angle braces 34 about the four edges of the plate 31 and by flanges 35a and 35b along their four vertical and two bottom edges. Over the four corners formed by the skirt plates 33 and their flanges 35a are secured nylon glides 36 which slidably bear against the inner corners of the channels 13. Beneath the upper plate 31 are welded the upper ends of a pair of trapezoidal shaped supports 37 braced by flanges 38 along their upright edges and disposed in spaced, back-to-back relation centrally of the plate 31. Welded to the lower ends of the supports 37 is the upper face of a circular bottom plate 39 centrally disposed with respect to the upper ram plate 31. The latter is centrally bored between the supports 37 to receive a flanged swivel seat 41 for a swivel nut 42 having a squared upper boss 42a, the seat 41 and nut 42 being retained by aflange plate 43 bolted through the plate 31, the plate 43 having a squared aperture 43a receiving the boss 42a and so preventing rotation of the nut 42. Through the latter is threaded a long, Acme type vertical screw 44, its threads being interrupted at 45 toward its upperend and provided a flanged bushing 51 seated in an aperture 52 in the chassis top plate 14 and bolted thereto between the channel assemblies 15. Above and below the bushing 51 are interposed a pair of washer-type needle thrust bearings 53, each sandwiched between a pair of flat washers 54. Through the bushing 51 extends the upper end of the screw 44, the latter and thus the entire ram assembly 30 being suspended from the bushing 51 by means of a nut 55 bearing against the upper-most washer 54. In order to prevent whipping of the screw 44, its lower end is extended down through an aperture (not shown) in the ram bottom plate 39. Forward of the ram assembly 30 a hat-shaped bracket 58 is bolted to the under face of the chassis top plate 14 from which is vertically suspended an appropriate electric motor M, the upper end of its drive shaft carrying a small cogged drive gear 59, the gears 48 and 59 being connected by a cogged drive belt 60. Finally, beneath and to the ram bottom plate 39 is removably attached a circular ram head assembly 90 which, since it plays no part in the present invention, is not further described herein. Also, it will be understood, an appropriate electrical control circuit for driving the ram assembly 30 is also employed, but since typical such circuits are well known and are not a necessary part of the present invention, none needs be set forth herein.

Accordingly, as the screw 44 is driven in the appropriate direction, the entire ram assembly 30 moves downwardly owing to the swivel nut 42. The four nylon glides 36, which in effect provide a total of eight bearing faces, fit tightly against the inner corners of the chassis channels 13 and are heavily greased. The screw 44, which provides a single axis of thrust centrally disposed with respect to the ram assembly 30 and parallel to the glides 36, absorbs most of the resistance encountered by the ram assembly 30 as it descends. Any tendency for it to cock or twist is effectively resisted and accommodated by the strength of the ram assembly 30, the extensive length of the eight surfaces of the nylon glides 36 and the substantial lateral spacing of 40 the latter from the axis of the screw 44. The interrupted thread portion of the screw 44 prevents over-travel of the ram 30 upon its upward movement.

The slide-out mount for the trash container is formed by a rectangular floor pan 121 having shallow side and rear end walls 122 and a large centrally located, circular aperture 123 therein normally axially aligned with the ram head 90 and somewhat large in diameter. To the exterior of the side walls 122 along the floor pan 121 are affixed the outer members 124 of a pair of three-piece, ball bearing full extension glides 125, of conventional type, whose stationary members 126 are secured across the flanges of the chassis channels 13 just above the floor plate 11. The floor pan 121 is also provided with a front wall 127, extending the full width of the cabinet 17, which is forwardly stepped to form the cabinet toe space 18 and carries a toe plate 128. A pair of upright, trapezoidal braces 129 welded to the floor pan 121 and the inner faces of the side and front walls 122 and 127 secure the front wall 127 to the floor pan 121 and the cabinet front panel 21, carrying the hand grip 22, is secured in turn to the front wall 27 above the toe plate 128. Two different sized spring clips are fastened to the inner face of the front wall 127 to hold spray cans of deodorant. Inwardly of the corners of the floor pan 121 four flat, container supporting springs 141 extend radially into the aperture 123. Each spring 141 consists of a cantilevered arm 142 and a shank 143 terminating in vertically split tongues 144 formed in the opposite end of the shank 143. The latter lies atop the floor pan 121 while the tongues 144 engage the upper and lower faces of the floor pan 121 through a hole 145 through the latter in order to locate the spring 141, its lateral movement being restrained by a downset tang 146 formed in the shank 143 and engaging another hole 147 in the floor pan 121 (see FIG. 4).

The springs 141 support a round trash container fitting the aperture 123 in the floor pan 121. The container 180 is normally supported on the spring arms 142 above the chassis floor plate 11 in which position it is just below and axially aligned with the ram head 90 when fully retracted. When the ram 30 is in its fully retracted position, the container 180 can be pulled forwardly out of the cabinet 17 on its mount 120, as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 1, by the hand grip 22 in order for trash to be deposited. When the container 180 is full, the ram 30 is activated and descends to compress the trash at which time the springs 141 deflect allowing the container 180 to sink through the aperture 123 until its bottom sits firmly upon the chassis floor plate 11.

Though the present invention has been described in terms of a particular embodiment, being the best mode known of carrying out the invention, it is not limited to that embodiment alone. Instead, the following claims are to be read as encompassing all modifications and adaptations of the invention falling within its spirit and scope.

I claim:

1. In a trash compactor having an upright, open top trash container to receive trash to be compacted, ram means disposed above the container in operative alignment therewith and movable in a substantially rectilinear, downward direction into the container to compact the trash therein, and a horizontally extending floor member forming a part of the compactor disposed below the container, the combination therewith of: mounting means for the container including a horizontal sheet member and resilient means, the sheet member having an aperture therein disposed in close spaced relation above the floor member and receiving the container, the resilient means being carried by the sheet member and disposed about said aperture effective to engage the bottom of and normally support the container so that its bottom is spaced closely above the floor member while permitting downward movement of the container relative to the sheet member to engage the floor member upon compaction of trash in the container by the ram means, the sheet member surrounding and laterally locating the lowermost portion only of the container both when the container is supported by the resilient means as aforesaid and when the container bottom is engaged with the floor member as aforesaid during compaction of trash, all the remainder of the container above said portion being otherwise unengaged by the mounting means and free for random lateral movements at all times.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the sheet member and container are horizontally movable out of alignment with the ram means when the latter is above the container.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein the resilient means comprise a plurality of leaf springs anchored at one end to the sheet member, the springs being spaced about the aperture and extending generally horizontally thereinto beneath the container. 

1. In a trash compactor having an upright, open top trash container to receive trash to be compacted, ram means disposed above the container in operative alignment therewith and movable in a substantially rectilinear, downward direction into the container to compact the trash therein, and a horizontally extending floor member forming a part of the compactor disposed below the container, the combination therewith of: mounting means for the container including a horizontal sheet member and resilient means, the sheet member having an aperture therein disposed in close spaced relation above the floor member and receiving the container, the resilient means being carried by the sheet member and disposed about said aperture effective to engage the bottom of and normally support the container so that its bottom is spaced closely above the floor member while permitting downward movement of the container relative to the sheet member to engage the floor member upon compaction of trash in the container by the ram means, the sheet member surrounding and laterally locating the lowermost portion only of the container both when the container is supported by the resilient means as aforesaid and when the container bottom is engaged with the floor member as aforesaid during compaction of trash, all the remainder of the container above said portion being otherwise unengaged by the mounting means and free for random lateral movements at all times.
 2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the sheet member and container are horizontally movable out of alignment with the ram means when the latter is above the container.
 3. The combination of claim 2 wherein the resilient means comprise a plurality of leaf springs anchored at one end to the sheet member, the springs being spaced about the aperture and extending generally horizontally thereinto beneath the container. 